Yellow-headed blackbird
| Yellow-headed blackbird | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yellow-headed blackbird ( Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus ), male |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the subfamily | ||||||||||||
| Xanthocephalinae | ||||||||||||
| Remsen , Powell , Schodde , Barker & SM Lanyon , 2016 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Xanthocephalus | ||||||||||||
| Bonaparte , 1850 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus | ||||||||||||
| ( Bonaparte , 1826) |
The yellow-headed blackbird ( Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus ), sometimes also called spectacled blackbird , is a songbird species from the family of starlings (Icteridae) occurring in North America and the only species of the genus Xanthocephalus .
description
Appearance
Yellow-headed blackbirds reach an average total length of 26.5 centimeters for males and 21.5 centimeters for females. The average weight is 97.0 grams for males and 59.3 grams for females. There is significant sexual dimorphism between the sexes . In the males, the head, neck and upper chest area are bright yellow. The belly, the wings and the control feathers are black, as is the area around the eyes. The plumage also shows partially white arm wings . The females are generally less contrasting and pale in color. Their heads and ears are brown, the throat whitish. The upper chest area is light yellow, the rest of the plumage and the wings are dark brown. The iris is dark brown in both sexes. Legs, feet and beak are black.
Vocalizations
The singing of the male yellow-headed blackbird consists either of a short, accentuated, repeatedly repeated tone sequence or a slightly dissonant humming melody. The female's song is similar to that of the male, but it is more blurred. The male uses a loud, rough rattle as a warning call, and the female uses a screeching chatter.
Vocal example
distribution and habitat
The breeding areas of the yellow-headed blackbird extend from the center of the Canadian province of British Columbia , parts of Saskatchewan , Manitoba and southwestern Ontario to the south through the western and central US states to Kansas , California and New Mexico and in the east to the Great Lakes . The main wintering areas are in western Texas and northern Mexico . Individual migrations to the islands of the Caribbean , for example to Cuba and the Bahamas as well as the Virgin Islands , have been reported. Smaller populations remain in the climatically favorable areas of the San Joaquin Valley and the Colorado River Valley in California and Arizona, respectively, throughout the year .
The birds prefer wetlands with loose trees as their habitat, for example the edges of rivers, ponds and lakes overgrown with trembling poplars ( Populus tremula ). Occasionally they also colonize prairies . Outside the breeding season, they can also be found on agricultural areas or mountain meadows. They breed mainly in the lowlands. Sometimes they nest in large numbers close together in swampy landscapes. In the winter quarters they can also be found at altitudes of up to 2500 meters.
Way of life
Yellow-headed blackbirds live together in colonies polygynously . They feed on seeds and insects . Investigations of the stomach contents of adult birds showed a proportion of 66% vegetable and 34% animal food. The nestlings, on the other hand, are provided with 60 to 90% animal food. A male mates with several females within one reproductive period, on average between 1.7 and 4.2 females (maximum 8.0).
The females are primarily responsible for building the nests, and within four to five days they create a cup-shaped nest from long strips of plant material. Inside it is padded with fine grass and other soft vegetation. The outside diameter is 13 to 14 centimeters, the height 13 to 15 centimeters. It is often built on cattails ( Typha ) or cornices ( Scirpus ). The clutch usually consists of three to four eggs. These have a grayish white to pale greenish white color and are covered with many brown spots. They are hatched by the female in a period of 12 to 13 days. Both parents feed the nestlings. However, since the males have several nests to look after, the females carry the main burden in rearing their young. The nestling period is 9 to 14 days. A second brood does not occur. The brown-headed cowbird ( Molothrus ater ) sometimes appears as a breeding parasite . This is attacked by the adult birds when discovered. If foreign eggs are already in the nest, they will not be removed or destroyed.
Hazard and protection
The yellow-headed blackbird is not uncommon in its distribution areas and is therefore classified by the IUCN as a 
" least concern ". It is protected by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act .
Migratory behavior
When the brood is over, females and males gather separately in large groups to move to their wintering quarters from the end of August. They are often found in large swarms on the edge of cattle pastures. The first groups of males begin returning to their breeding grounds in February of the following year. The females follow about one to two weeks later.
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Etymology and history of research
Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte described the yellow-headed blackbird as Icterus xanthocephalus . In 1850 he introduced the new genus Xanthocephalus of the same name in his work Conspectus generum avium . This name is derived from the Greek words "xanthos" ξανθος for "yellow, golden" and "-kephalos, kephalē" -κεφαλος, κεφαλη for "-headed, head".
swell
literature
- Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott, David A. Christie: Handbook of the Birds of the World, Tanagers to New World Blackbirds. Volume 16, Lynx Edicions, 2011, ISBN 978-84-96553-78-1 .
- James A. Jobling: Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm, London 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4 .
- Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte : On the distinction of two species of Icterus, hitherto confounded under the specific name Icterocephalus . In: Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia . tape 5 , 1826, pp. 222–229 ( online [accessed April 17, 2016]).
- Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte: Conspectus generum avium . tape 1 . EJ Brill, Leiden 1850 ( online [accessed April 17, 2016]).
Individual evidence
- ^ Fraga, R. (2016). Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, DA & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/62322 on April 17, 2016).
- ^ IUCN Red List
- ↑ Richard Crossly: The Crossly ID Guide , Princeton University Press, 2011, ISBN 978-0-691-14778-9 , page 508
- ^ Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte (1826), p. 223.
- ^ Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte (1850), p. 431.
- ↑ James A. Jobling, p. 409.
Web links
- VIREO photos
- Yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) in the Encyclopedia of Life . Retrieved August 11, 2017.